Sustainable consumer behaviour in clothes disposal in the Sri Lankan context

Abstract

Purpose: Interest in sustainability has developed in recent decades and individuals are being encouraged to shift toward consumption that is more socially and environmentally sustainable. Sustainable consumption encompasses the acquisition, use, and disposal of goods as a subset of general consumption. The phrase "disposal" in the context of apparel consumption refers to whether a garment is merely discarded, resold, reused, or recycled. This study investigates how consumers can be persuaded to adopt sustainable practices when disposing of clothes.

Design/methodology/approach: The study has been conducted by using 366 respondents in Sri Lanka as a quantitative study. This study used the Fogg Behavior Model to investigate what would stimulate consumers to include sustainability criteria. There are three independent variables of the study namely; motivation- sensation anticipation, motivation-social evaluation, and ability which have tested the influence on the dependent variable sustainable clothing disposing behavior while investigating the moderation effect from the trigger. 

Findings: The results of the study indicated that variables motivation- sensation anticipation, motivation- social evaluation, and ability have a significant positive impact on sustainable clothing disposing behaviour. Furthermore, the trigger has no moderation impact on the relationship between motivation- sensation anticipation, motivation- social evaluation, ability and sustainable clothing disposing behaviour.

Originality: Even though clothing disposal has become a significant area for marketing research, especially in post-consumption behaviour, no research has been found on how consumers sustainably dispose of clothing in the Sri Lankan context.

Implications: This research provides recommendations, suggestions, and insights for marketers and fashion retailers to design their strategies when introducing a novel approach like sustainable clothing disposal.

Keywords: Clothing Disposal, Fashion, Post Consumption, Sustainable Consumption